Anyone play pedal steel?

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Xdrummer

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I've been trying to learn pedal steel - I find it to be a very difficult instrument. I progressed from working on slide using a traditional 6 string - to a lap steel. Once I was getting around on the lap steel - I thought I was ready to progress to pedal steel.

I have a standard 10 string E9 with three pedals and 4 knee bars - I'm starting to figure out the pedals - but using the the knee bars does not come natural to me. I can get around well enough to play some basic comping on a 3 chord song - but any attempts to solo are not very successful.

I plan to keep at it - but the learning curve is much slower than other instruments I've learned (I'm decent on guitar, bass, keys, drums, percussion and fiar on harmonica, violin and banjo). I thought I was a good enough musician to find my way around almost any instrument - but have no idea what possesed me to try to learn this god awful instrument:eek:

Can anyone recommend some good self instruction (videos, books, etc.) - or offer me your personal advice, to help me learn a few "aha" tricks/techniques????
 
I just hack around on my pedal steel. :D

When I first got it, I couldn't deal with the knee levers, so I tied them out of the way and just focused on using the pedals.
Once I was able to get some short runs going using the pedals...I added one knee lever and thought of it as just another pedal (only using your knee)...then I added another knee lever....etc.
Then of course, there's also the volume pedal...which you can add for yet even more playing options, and with the pedals/levers and the volume pedal, you can get some nice "swells".

If you learn what each pedal and knee lever actually does to the note (#, b, raise/lower), and then think of it in those terms - melody...it's a little more comfortable than just thinking about the mechanics of the *pedal* or *lever*.

I only use it when I need to add some ear candy on some tune...which is is not often, as the pedal steel can make most songs sound like a country tune the minute you start playing it.
Usually I'll spend an hour or two working out 2-3 licks, and then just record them...and put the pedal steel away again, :)
 
Thanks for the reply. I got the pedal steel to add some country flavor for a few songs - and up till now I use it more to swell a chord between verses, etc.

I understand your point about understanding how the pedals/bars impact the notes (vs. the mechanics) - but man, with 10 strings in the E9 tuning - there's a lot of notes to learn/re-learn - and then to remember which strings/notes are impacted by the bends ........ it make playing guitar seem sooooo easy:o

As you indicated, I'm focusing on the pedals for now - and hopefully will eventually start to work the bars. I'm still learning how to effectively work the volume swells - although that seems more intuitive than the pedals/bars.

Do you track direct or run your pedal steel though an amp and then track the amp? For the time being, I'm tracking direct - I don't even want to start dealing with trying to get amp tones, until I can play the thing better.
 
The few times I recorded my pedal steel...I did it DI.

AFA all them strings...like I said, come up with just a few 2-3 note licks for starters, and focus on them.
Unless you're looking to do some real heavy pedal steel playing...all you need are a few basic licks to give the song some of that country flavor.
I mainly focused on adding some "ear candy" and no so much about actually *playing* the pedal steel....that would take some serious time and learning.
 
I’ve been playing pedal steel for a while now, and you’re right – it takes a while to get the hang of it. I’m not a pro by any means, but I’ll try to help a little bit if I can.

I’d recommend learning the levers along with the pedals, because that’s where the real power and flexibility comes from. For example, if you play a G at fret 3, slide up 3 frets, hold the A pedal and LKL lever, you have the same G chord again. So you can play a lick going from G on the 3rd fret, to G on the 6th , to G on the 10th with A and B pedals down. Play that with a rolling picking rhythm on any of these strings: 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3 and away you go.

Also, using the levers let you change chords without moving the bar so much. Example here is G to C on the third fret using A and B pedals (C) and no pedals (G), now in the same fret, lower the E strings with LKR (left knee right) and you have the 5 chord (D). Also at the 3rd fret is Em with A pedal alone. Lowering E’s with LKL also gives you another minor at the 3rd fret if you include the 3rd string. Playing with the E’s lowered gives you that faux 6th sound: Example, play D at fret 3 with LKL engaged, let off it and include string 9 on the 3rd fret G chord for G7, then slide up 2 to A (or A7 with 9th string included.) Some cool riffs can be done like that.

Playing pedal steel is a lot of training muscle memory to remember the chords instead of having to think through everything. Once you get to know your way around the minors with A pedal and LKR lever, and the major chord options with open, A+B, and A+LKL you’re on your way. After a while your body knows what to do by the sound, not all the thinking about chords and strings so much.

I’ll not get into the top two strings just yet, but will say that with RKR engaged, you have unison notes with strings 3 and 4, and with the first stop on RKR you have a very cool pedals down 7th note available, example play C on fret 3 with A+B strings 3 and 4, then RKR to the half stop, add 2nd string 7th note. Very cool.

One more fast lick for the road… Play D at fret 10, strings 5/4/3, then slide down two frets and push the A pedal, then back up quickly to where you started, do it back and forth, you’ll see what I’m talking about. You do a pick/answer thing with string 5, then answer with 3 and 4, slide down, same thing, back up, same thing, etc..

I’m assuming you are using a standard Emmons setup in these comments, may not all be suitable if you have some alternative tuning or setup on your steel.
Pedal steel doesn’t have to country up everything you play. I like to play rock and blues, especially in minor keys, works very well, fits in nicely with distorted guitars, organs, etc.. Don’t limit what you think it can do, and you’ll do more with it. It just plays musical notes to use anyway you see fit.
 
If you want to hear some non-traditional use of pedal steel check out the band in my sig. It's all recorded direct, the most recent stuff through a Solo 610.
 
TomD

Thanks for the detailed response. I've printed it and will spend some time this weekend trying to apply your suggestions. You gave me a lot to chew on, so I suspect I'll be able to spend hours working on what you gave me.
 
This is a great thread, I have wanted a pedal steel for some time now, I have a Kamico Lapsteel tuned to C6 that I play a bit but I really would like the "Big Guns".

VP
 
Ahhh the complexities of a steel... but all worth the time and devotion in my opinion.

If I can piggy back off of what Tom so eloquently said. (Nice description Tom). There is a Nashville numbering system that I would suggest learning however, not until you become more comfortable with the fret board and 4 groups of major strings.

Basically, if you know where the first chord is, i.e. "G" on the third fret as Tom indicated, that would be position #1, so if I wanted a 1, 4 5 change (common in country), I would count four whole steps up and the would be my "F" chord, now go to 5 which would be the "G" chord. Following this scheme will make playing that 1, 4 5 change simple because all you need to know is where the root chord is, example, "A" is on the fifth fret, count up 4 frets and you got your next change progression, which would be "D" by the way. There is a lot of info on this on the web.

About me, I feel blessed having the opportunity to learn how to play (and still learning) this awesome sounding instrument. I started when I was kid and stopped then picked it up as adult a few years ago. Although I don’t really play fast but I can if you want to hear other strings that shouldn't be picked. I don't play everything slow either so I guess I can be called a "Half Fast" picker

I currently enjoy volunteering for such great events as Ackers in Prescott Arizona twice a year as well as entertaining friends and family.

I'll wrap his up by saying, I had the good fortune of meeting good people and learning from them. Four years ago I met Russ Hicks (played in HeeHaw) for 13 plus years and recently inducted into the "Steel Guitar" hall of fame . I purchased his pedal single neck at a Dallas steel guitar convention and still have it. I also meet an awesome guy by the name of Randy Weideman, Randy and Russ are buds and Randy recently just started building steel guitars called the "Russler" .

I know I'm going to sound bias but I have to tell you it's an awesome sounding guitar and the looks are ever better. Check out the Russler guitars on the steel guitar forum and web.
 
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